Dotroh-depositino machine



Aug. 18, T925. Re. 16,143

V E. E. LINDSEY w DOUGH DEPOSITING- MACHINE Original, Filed oc' 25 1920 *LML 'INVENTOR.

' EP/VEST E. LIA/05E).

BY ml 1 I AT RNEYS.

Reissued Aug. 18, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

nouen-narosrrmo macnnm.

' a Qriginal Ho. 1,881,421, dated Janelle-1921, Serial No. 419,821, filed October 25, 1820. Application for reissue filed November '29, 1922. Serial No. 604,091.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it'known that I, ERNEST E. LINDSEY,"

a citizen of the United States, residin in the cit and county of SanlFrancisco, tate of California, have invented a new and useful Dough-Depositing Machine, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in means for depositing dough, in which dough -is forced by compressed air from a hop er through a die and deposited in a suita le receptacle and is articularly adapted to the inlanufacture of oughnuts, cookies and the It is a familiar fact to bakers that working dough makes ittough, and in doughdepositing machines in which the dough is moved b a worm or a pump, the last portion of t e dough is tough, and the product is missha ed.

The ob ects of my improvements are:

First, to provide a hopper to hold the dough.

Second, to provide means to force the dough out of' the ho per through the die, without causing the ough to become tough fromhandling. 1

Third, to rovide means to control and regulate the ow of the dough through the die.

Fourth, to provide a die to give the dough the shape desired.

I attain these objects by the mechanism iljlustratedin the accompanying drawin in which the figure is a vertical section 0 the entire machine. Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout this specification.

This dough-depositing device is supported by a suitable bracket, not shown, to which the frame 1 is securely bolted. I have chosen to make the frame 1 wheel-like in form, having a heavy rim 2 with a center hub 3, and spokes of which one 4 is enlarged to contain within it passages for air for the operation of the depositor. I have made the hopper 5 circular in form, with the lower portion funnel-she ed, terminating with a circular orifice t rough which protrudes the female die 6 through which the dough is expressed. 7

The hub 3 is used as the wall of a cylinder in which the piston 7 is driven downward by air pressure received through the channel 8 from a receiver for compressed 5 air (not shown). When the air pressure is removed the iston is moved u ward'by the recoil of t e spring 9. Attac ed to the piston 7 is th'e rod 10, which moves in the guide 11 and carries on its lower end the male die 12 which closes the opening of the die 6.

The hopper is bolted to the rim 2 by bolts 13 and the die 6 is positioned by the rods 14 so that an air-tight joint is secured between the hopper 5 and the die 6, the dough contained in the'hopper fillin the role of gasket between the metal sur aces. A gasket 15 (or in lieu thereof a machined surface) produces an air-tight joint between the hopper 5 and the rim 2. A cover 16 closes the top of the ho per with an airtight joint 17 and is held in place by hinged bolts with wing nuts 18.

Air pressure is introduced into the hopper through the passage 19.

To use the depositor, the cover 16 is first removed by loosening the bolts 18. Dough 1s put in the hopper through the openin between the spokes of the frame 1. T e cover 16 is then replaced and fastened by the bolts 18. Air under pressure is permitted to flow through the assage 19 and fill the upper portion of the opper. This puts pressure on'the dough sufiicient to force it out through the die 6 when the closing die 12 is removed.

By means of a three way valve not shown) air under pressure is permitte to flow throu h the passa e 8 and the piston 7 1s moved ownward. his opens the die 6 by lowering the die 12 and the air pressure on the dough forces the dough out through the die 6. By cutting off the air supply through 8 and permitting the air contained in the cylinder to esca the spring 9 is allowed to expand and rive the piston upward, forcing the die 12 back intocontact with the die 6, thereby cutting off the flow of the dough. This operation is re ated at will until the hopper 5 is emptie After the dough is placed in. the hopper it receives no further kneadin or stirring and the last portion is deposits in the same condition as the first portion.

By adjusting the size and shape of the die 6, the pressure of the air, and the consistency of the dough, a wide variety of products ma be obtained.

t is notable that during the time that the dough remains in the hopper under the air s maintained within the hopper that appreciable amount of air is injected into the dough, and on its release after beingv expressed through the die, the compressed air contained within the dough expands and assists the operation of the leavening agent in the dough. The dough last expressed through the die which has longest been subjected to'the air pressure shows this phenomenon to a greater degree than that portion of the dough first expressed through the die. The result is that, instead of the last portion being of a closer texture and tougher consistency, as is usual in those machines in which the dough is moved by mechanical means, by the method herein described the last portion of the dough has a quality superior to the quality of the dough first expressed.

The device in its present form is for the purpose of forming doughnuts, and, in practice, the hopper is placed over a tank of frying grease so that the dough, as it leavesthe die members, is deposited Within the tank for .frying. It will be noted that the entire operation of shaping and discharging the doughnuts from the hopper is automatic.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a dough-depositing machine, a conveniently supported hopper to contain dough, an opening in the upper portion of said hopper through which dough may be placed in said hopper, a'cover to close said opening with an air-tight joint, an air inlet in the upper portion of said hopper through which air under pressure may be introduced into said hopper and therein maintain an air pressure in excess. of the external atmosheric pressure, a die at the bottom of, said iiopper through which the dough may be expressed, a cut-off valve which in conjunction with the said die may regulate the deposition of the dough, a valve stemwhereby the valve may be operated by the operating means, said operating means being at a distance above said valve, and consisting of a compressed air engine in which the piston is attached tothe valve stem and is moved downward b air pressure and upward by the recoil o a spring, control being had by regulation of the air supplied to said compressed air en inc, 1

2. In a dough-deposlting machine having means for expressing dough through a die, a ,cut-ofi' valve, which in conjunction with the said die, may regulate the deposition of the dough, a valve stem whereby the valve may be operated by the operating means,

' downward by air spect to the other to' said operating means being at a distance above said valve and consisting of a compressed air engine in which thepiston fis attached to the valve stem and is moved pressure and upward by the recoil of a spring, control being bad by regulation of the air supplied to said compressed air engine.

3. A dough-depositing machinebomprising a hopper, means for permitting compressed air to flow into the hopper for maintaining air pressure in the hopper above the dough, male and female ing an'orifice in the bottom of spring means for maintaining the-die members normally closed and fluid pressure actuated means .for separating saiddie members to permit dough to be expelled through the space between the die members.

4. A dough-depositing machine comprising a hopper for the dough, means for permitting compressed air to flow into the hopper for maintaining air pressure within the hopper above the dough, male and female die members controlling adischarge orifice formed in the bottom of the hopper, one of said die members being movable in a direction away from thedirection. of 'movement ofthe dough, spring means for maintaining the movable die member normally closed, and fluid pressure actuated means for opening said movable die member to permit measured and shaped quantities of dough to be expelled under pressure of the air. I

5. A dough-depositing machine comprising a hopper for the dough, means for permitting compressed air to'fiow into the hopper for maintaining air pressure in the hopper above the dough, male and fen'iale die members controlling a discharge orifice -formedin theibott'om of the hopper, one of said die-members being movable-wi-th reperin'it measured and shaped quantities of. dough to'be expelled through the space between the die members, spring -means for -n'ormally maintaining said die members closed and air actuated means for n'iovin'g the die members apart.

6. A' dough depositing machine compriss a pp pressed air to How into the hopper for maintaining air pressure "in the hopper above the dough, male and female die members closing an orifice in the bottom of the hopper, yieldable means for maintaining a constant die members closthe hopper,

means for permitting colnpressure for holding the die members normally closed, and compressed air actuated means for separating said die members to permit dough to be expelled through the space between the die members.

ERNEST E. LINDSEY. 

